The Sporting News is once again beginning their yearly power lists of all things NFL, and on Thursday they released their NFL Head Coach Rankings. Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was ranked #4 on this years list, behind Tom Coughlin of the NY Giants, Bill Belichick of the Patriots, and Mike McCarthy of the Packers. Tomlin was ranked just ahead of both Harbaugh brothers, with John at #5 and Jim at #6 (after ONE season as a head coach). Obviously, any ranking system put out by a national sports media company is going to have tons of bias, and this list is no different.

A quick review of Mike Tomlin’s tenure as head coach of the most prolific franchise in the National Football League:

- Hired in 2007 by the Steelers to take over a team that was one season removed from their fifth Super Bowl victory. Immediately took the Steelers back to the AFC Playoffs by winning the AFC North, despite a season where he lost many key players to injuries and the team hobbled into the postseason. The Steelers lost to Jacksonville 31-29 in a disappointing first-round playoff game at Heinz Field.

- In 2008, Tomlin guided the Steelers to their sixth Lombardi Trophy by once again winning the AFC North and defeating the Baltimore Ravens for the third time that season in the AFC Championship Game, then defeating the very game Arizona Cardinals in possibly the best Super Bowl ever played, Super Bowl XLIII.

- In 2009, the Steelers hit a stumbling block and fell to 9-7. The team missed the playoffs for the first time in the Tomlin Era and was essentially declared dead by the national media. Despite a five-game losing streak late in the season, the team found itself in the playoff hunt all the way to Week 17 before being eliminated. The Steelers rallied from that five-game streak to win their final three games against the Green Bay Packers, Baltimore Ravens, and finally at Miami in Week 17. If anything, the 2009 season proved that a Tomlin-led team could spur adversity and that Coach Tomlin was respected by his veteran roster.

- The 2010 season saw the Steelers back in the AFC Championship Game, beating the New York Jets at Heinz Field to advance to Super Bowl XLV. The team won their third AFC North title under Mike Tomlin. This was Tomlin’s second AFC Championship and his second time coaching in the Super Bowl at age 38. The Steelers lost the game to Green Bay, 31-25.

- Once again the Steelers were a force in the AFC North, finishing 12-4 but losing out in the AFC North to Baltimore by virtue of head to head record. The Steelers had to go on the road to play in the Wild Card round of the AFC Playoffs, and ended up being upset by the Denver Broncos.

In five seasons as head coach in Pittsburgh, Tomlin has amassed three AFC North titles, two AFC Championships, one Super Bowl Championship, four playoff appearances, and a 55-25 record.

First off, there is no way Tomlin should be ranked underneath Mike McCarthy. While McCarthy has been a great coach for the Packers, he has lost two NFC Championship Games in his six-year tenure. He has missed the playoffs twice. He presided over perhaps the greatest failure in Green Bay football history when his 2011 Packers (15-1 regular season) lost in the Divisional Round of the playoffs to the New York Giants at Lambeau Field. McCarthy should be fourth on this list, behind Mike Tomlin.

I can’t disagree with the #1 or #2 choices, as both Coughlin and Belichick have multiple Super Bowl rings and over 100+ wins as an NFL Head Coach. Granted, both have coached much longer than Tomlin, so things could even out in the coming years. For now, these two are the cream of the crop, without question.

Having Jim Harbaugh listed at #6 is a slap in the face to many of the coaches below him on this list. For example: John Fox, Andy Reid, Jeff Fisher, and even Mike Shanahan (two Super Bowl titles that seem like they happened 100 years ago). All of those coaches have a long-term success rate in the NFL, and all should be ranked higher than a coach who had ONE good year in the league. If San Fransisco continues their rebirth under Harbaugh and wins consistently for a few years, we can talk about elevating him, but for now he should be no higher than #12 or even lower.

In early 2007, as the Steelers were looking to replace Bill Cowher, I was a huge proponent of Mike Tomlin. Hidden for years in Tampa because the organization refused to allow position coaches under contract to interview for coordinator jobs, Tomlin proved in one season as Minnesota’s defensive coordinator that he was ready to be great head coach.

And he has been, even if the Rooneys nearly hired Russ Grimm instead.

Per Peter King’s Monday Morning Quarterback, Tomlin was inducted earlier this month into the Hall of Fame at William & Mary, where he started at receiver for three years. And Tomlin gave a rather eye-opening glimpse into his mindset.

“One of the reasons I work in the National Football League — I’m tired of the NCAA rules,” he said. “I am a win-at-all-costs kind of guy. The NFL is just right for me, although I am not a bounty guy in any form or fashion. Any form or fashion. . . . What you’ve got to understand about the Pittsburgh Steelers is . . . I ain’t got to offer them anything. Guys like James Harrison — they’ll do it for nothing. The men I work with, I’m a blessed person.”

The easy message is that Tomlin has renounced paying defensive players to wreak havoc. The more subtle message is that Tomlin wants guys who’ll wreak havoc without an extra cash incentive.

“I’m tired of the NCAA rules.” It’s also clear that he’s tired of the NFL rules. Every gripe and complaint and piss and moan from Steelers players regarding the league’s rules for hitting offensive players naturally traces to the coaching staff — and ultimately to Tomlin. Last year, for example, safety Ryan Clark was celebrated in the film room for a hit that got him fined $40,000 by the league office.

The dynamic culminated in the powers-that-be on Park Avenue talking to Tomlin and owner Art Rooney, presumably about the trickle-down effect of the things the coaches say to players behind closed doors. As the NFL tries to make the game safer, Tomlin needs to realize that his “win-at-all-costs” mindset needs to be tempered by a genuine respect for whatever rules may apply.

Especially when those rules are aimed at allowing the men he works with to be blessed with long, healthy lives.

"Every gripe and complaint and piss and moan from Steelers players regarding the league’s rules for hitting offensive players naturally traces to the coaching staff — and ultimately to Tomlin. Last year, for example, safety Ryan Clark was celebrated in the film room for a hit that got him fined $40,000 by the league office."

That's because it was a textbook hit. It was football the way football is meant to be played, and it was a bullshit fine. It's not Tomlin's fault that asshole Goodell is wrecking the league.

These rankings are fickle anyway. Coughlinis ranked first, while the giants finished 9-7, the same record the steelers had in Tomlins worst year, and people were speculating how soon he'd be fired (just like in 2007). They did win the Super Bowl, and he deserves credit, but from goat to 1st? Ridiculous.
I also think McCarthys ranking is a bit high because of a Super Bowl win. I think Belichik Tomlin and Hardbaugh all deserve mentions in the top 5 for consistency.

I like the job Jim Harbaugh did with the Forty Niners last year but #6? The guy has one full season of NFL coaching under his belt and was coaching in the weakest division with a third place team's schedule. Let's see how he does with a first place schedule and a bigger target on his team. Anyhow, Tomlin looks fine to me. His critics say he inherited Cowher's team but lest we forget he is the one who decided to make Harrison a starter and Harrison has been a better outside linebacker than Joey Porter was. Loved Peezy but Harrison is better. Tomlin also drafted Wallace, Woodley, Timmons, Heyward, Hood, and others that have allowed us to have sustained success. Honestly I am not big on Belichick. Maybe it's Spygate skepticism but the fact is he hasn't won one SB since they got caught. An above average coach, sure, but I think he gets by on the reputation that I think was created in part due to spygate. I don't know what to make of Coughlin. I'll say this much, he has the Pats' number and for that and their two SB wins over the Pats, he has my thanks.

Mike Florio is great at what he does. Pro Football Talk aggregates news as fast as any out there and Florio does have connections that allows him to break stories in addition. His legal background also allows him to decipher the lawyer talk in the CBA much easier than I can do. Florio is also great at creating controversy which in turn leads to more site hits and discussion. Traffic is the goal of every website and he gets more than his fair share of it.

On Monday Florio went after Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, via the quotes that Peter King used in his weekly Monday Morning Quarterback piece. The quotes that King had of Tomlin were from the recent induction of the Steelers head coach into the Hall of Fame at William & Mary, where he started at receiver for three years. What Florio does not do is check the context of the Tomlin quotes that came from the induction speech of Tomlin.

Florio blasts Tomlin for the quote, "I’m tired of the NCAA rules." Tomlin used that quote when joking about helping his alma mater recruit Kevin Hart, the son of Steelers Chief Financial Officer, Mark Hart. After joking that he hoped he did not break any recruiting rules in the process is when Tomlin added the NCAA quote above. Tomlin added that he is a win-at-all costs kind of a guy as an add-on to not having to worry about recruiting rules. He quickly disclaimered that he is not a bounty guy in any form of fashion, to which he got a pretty good laugh from the crowd. Tomlin played off of that laugh by saying that the Steelers will get you for nothing and that players like James Harrison and company don't need to be offered anything. This where Florio insinuates that Tomlin wants players that he does not need to pay a bounty to in order for them to hurt other players. Was it a poor choice of words by Tomlin? Perhaps, but he also had to make sure that he disclaimered his win-at-all-cost comment because if he had left it that, he would have been blasted as well from the Florio types. It looks as if Tomlin is not reading off of a prepared speech, but it is clear that he is playing to his audience with his humor.

Unfortunately context of words from interviews and speeches are often times very poorly converted to words in articles as well as transcripts. When in doubt, it is always best to try to find and listen to the words said by another person when they are called into question. So I will leave it at that and ask that you watch the video of the Tomlin speech and form your own opinions. I think you will see that this was just another example of Florio taking words out of context and setting to create controversy and get hits to his site on Memorial Day. He certainly accomplished what he was after.

Florio says in his piece that this is an eye-opening glimpse into the mindset of Tomlin. I disagree and think this is a glimpse into Tomlin trying to be funny and praise his players as not being the types that need to be motivated to play in any circumstance. You make the decision for yourself.

We’ve got our chief financial officer in the building from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Where is my man Mark Hart? Is he in the building? Hart? He exited stage left. (crowd laughs) His son, Kevin, is in the next incoming class of football players at William & Mary. And I'm proud to say that hopefully I had a part in that and I didn’t break any rules in the process. I think. (crowd laughs) That's one of the reasons that I work in the National Football League, I'm tired of the NCAA rules. I'm a win-at-all costs kind of a guy. The NFL is just right for me. Although I’m not a bounty guy in any form or fashion. Any form or fashion. (crowd laughs) What you’ve got to understand about the Pittsburgh Steelers is ... that they'll get you for nothing. I ain’t got to offer them anything. Guys like James Harrison and company, they enjoy it.

The NFL is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately league, so success one season doesn't necessarily guarantee any player or coach is safe in the next. A winning team cannot rest on their laurels the following season and hope that yet again, a playoff appearance and a 12-4 record will be easy or guaranteed.

That's why both Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh are under immense pressure to lead their respective teams to success this season, even though they've been perennial playoff contenders.

Tomlin will find himself under greater pressure than Harbaugh this season; the Steelers released a number of veterans to solve their salary cap problems and fired offensive coordinator Bruce Arians, hiring Todd Haley as his replacement.

That's a lot of change for a franchise that's known for its stability and continuity. However, things like "stability" and "continuity" are hard commodities to retain in the constantly-changing NFL.

Much scrutiny will be paid to both the Steelers and Tomlin this season as we see how well the team can handle things being so drastically different.

Change has also befallen the Ravens this offseason.

They traded out defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano for Dean Pees, lost a number of free agents including offensive guard Ben Grubbs, linebacker Jarret Johnson and special teams contributors Haruki Nakamura and Tom Zbikowski, and now, reigning Defensive Player of the Year Terrell Suggs could potentially miss the entire season after tearing his Achilles' tendon.

While it can seem at first blush that because of these changes, both the Steelers and Ravens could have a setback in 2012, both teams are rife with so much talent that the losses can easily be mitigated, as long as Harbaugh and Tomlin make the right decisions.

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh also has to find creative ways to deal with the number of changes that have befallen the Ravens.
Patrick McDermott/Getty Images

The main reason why Tomlin is under greater pressure this year lies in the Haley hire. While many fans were through with Arians, the Steelers still managed to consistently reach the playoffs and have winning records with him designing the plays.

So if things weren't broken, why did the Steelers feel their offense needs fixing? It makes sense to question the change even if it is for the best—Haley will make the Steelers' offense more multidimensional (Arians' conservative play-calling required the Steelers to evolve at some point).

Though the Steelers have long been a defensive powerhouse, the team's offense really came into its own under Arians. Once known as a bruising, run-based team, they've become one of the better passing offenses in the league.

Which coach is under the most pressure to succeed this season?

John Harbaugh
72.0%

Mike Tomlin
28.0%

Total votes: 239

How Haley manages the balance between the run and the pass and how much he keeps quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in the pocket has yet to be seen. But too many tweaks could damage a process that has worked well in the past.

There's also the issue of Haley's well-known temper. Though Haley's style of constructing offenses might be of benefit to the Steelers, there's also the possibility that his coaching methods might turn off his players as well as Tomlin.

The expectation for teams like the Steelers and Ravens is that they just keep winning, so every season that they do, the following one brings that much more pressure with it.

That's not to say that if the Steelers and Ravens fail to meet their ever-high expectations this year that either Tomlin or Harbaugh will find themselves on the hot seat—it's going to take more than one season of stumbling for that to happen to either team.

But pressure is ever-present in the NFL, especially for coaches of consistently winning teams.

Both the Ravens and Steelers have undergone some serious and significant offseason changes, but because the Steelers have been the most drastic on both sides of the ball, this will be a higher-pressure year for Tomlin than it is for Harbaugh.